Workbooks - Protection and Encryption

How to password protect and encrypt an Excel workbook

How many passwords do you have? The answer is probably too many. 

Unfortunately, that is the way things are going and you probably need to start considering password protecting  some of your Excel files too. Be careful though - there is no HelpDesk to call if you forget the password!

Below is a guest post from Joe Helstrom on protecting a workbook.

To ensure that unauthorized users do not access a workbook, a workbook can be password protected. Without the password, users cannot access the worksheets within the workbook. It is an effective control as long as the password is limited only to those users with authorized access, is properly safeguarded and is not shared with anyone else. A password is not very effective if it’s on a sticky note attached to your computer monitor.  However, I am sure that none of you do that.

Click here to see the steps needed to password your Excel workbook.

Protect Your Workbook Structure

Protect Your Work

If you share workbooks with others then I am sure you have experienced someone inserting or deleting a sheet and totally messing up your work. Or, that helpful person who renames the sheets for you??

Anyway, in addition to protecting the cells in the sheet which I have covered in other blogs, today I want to talk about protecting your workbook's structure. It is easy to do and you will wish that you knew about this a long time ago.
These steps pertain to the entire workbook - not just a worksheet.

• Click Review. 
• Select  Protect Workbook which is located in the Changes grou.p
• Select Structure Option in the Protect Workbook dialog box.
• 4. Click OK.

If you right-click on a sheet name after doing these steps, you will see that you can no longer delete, insert or rename a sheet. In addition, you cannot change its color or hide or unhide the sheet.

If you select Windows, you can prevent users from changing the size or position of worksheet windows.



This tip is very useful if you are linking together several spreadsheets maintained by others.